What would a Bo Bichette contract extension look like?

"At the very least, Bichette has earned the right to test the waters of free agency to see what's out there. Ross Atkins admitted as much in his end of season press conference yesterday, saying the Blue Jays would be engaged in negotiations with Bichette's camp, but that he deserves to explore his options beyond Toronto. Unlike Vladimir Guerrero Jr. earlier this year, Bichette never played hardball with the Blue Jays or put a deadline on potential contract negotiations."

"Unlike most free agents this year, there's no benchmark for Bichette's value on the open market. Projections for Bichette's next contract have been wildly varied, from the five year/$130 million predicted by Kiley McDaniel of ESPN, to seven years and around $200 million projected by FanGraphs. Even Spotrac lists Bichette's market value at eight years and $186 million. Willy Adames' seven-year/$182 million deal with the San Francisco Giants is the most recent comparable that was signed last offseason."

Bo Bichette is expected to decline the qualifying offer and explore free agency while Toronto Blue Jays will negotiate. Ross Atkins confirmed the Blue Jays will engage Bichette's camp but that Bichette deserves to explore options beyond Toronto. Bichette expressed a desire to remain from the beginning but negotiations will depend on his agent and team offers. Projections for a new contract vary widely, from about five years/$130 million to seven or eight years near $186–200 million. Willy Adames' seven-year/$182 million deal is a recent comparable, though Bichette offers more offensive upside while Adames provides more defensive value. No clear elite shortstop benchmark exists this offseason.

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